Hello Lovelies!
It has been quite some time since I've posted. Ironically, I've been blogging the last 10 weeks for a marketing research company. Technically, their new website is about to come up, but they have 9 of my posts ready and in the queue for when the blog finally launches. I'll be posting when the time comes!
Today though, I figured I'd talk about putting together a book trailer. As some of you know I've been helping out Stacey Darlington, author of Athena's Curse, with publicity efforts, and of course, her official book trailer. The beauty of a book trailer is the fact that there is either limited or no animation. Instead, it relies on the mood created by the music and images chosen for the piece.
Step 1. Decide the mood you wish to convey. Eerie? Adventurous? Romantic? Terrifying?
Step 2. Decide aesthetically how to convey this mood. For example, would cartoons work? Black and white illustrations with sparse colors, like what I used for Stacey? Or would photoshopped images and photos create a better impression and aide you with the mood you wish to convey? It's really a matter of preference. Also consider what is easier and readily available to you.
Step 3. Do you have a program that you can build this trailer on? Or know someone who does? Figure out what it is capable of before you jump in. Mac has iMovie, not too sure what Windows has.
Step 4. Create a storyboard. This can be as elaborate as a giant poster or as simple as a few thumbnail (miniature) sketches that contain the general idea you want on each slide/scene.
Step 5. This step goes hand-in-hand with Step 4. Consider the copy (words) to go along with each frame. Remember keep this short and minimal. You know those tag lines and elevator pitches we use whenever we go to a conference? Keep it to that length.
Step 6. Once that has been decided, get started on those pictures/drawings/illustrations or what have you.
Step 7. Choosing the music. This step can really be done at any point in the process. Some prefer to know what kind of music they are using beforehand so that they know what works as they created the images. Others, like myself, wait towards the end once we have the idea on paper. Remember to choose royalty free music or music you or a friend composes themselves. Here are a couple sites my tech-savvy cousin recommended I try:
Step 8. The last step is putting it all together using a simple program. My advice: If you don't have a lot of knowledge keep things as simple and clean as possible. Simplicity can oftentimes have a greater impact than those trying to clutter a screen with extraneous details. Trust me. Keep it simple.
Below is the trailer for Athena's Curse. Hope you guys like it!
